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Travel Information:  

Traveling to Canada

APPLYING FOR A VISA TO ENTER CANADA
Canadian Consulate General
Immigration Section

1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020-1175
Phone: 212/596-1628
Fax: 212/596-1793
Email: cngny_td@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

To obtain a visitor visa for Canada, you must apply directly to the Canadian Consulate General in New York. Applications can be made by mail or in person. Visa applications should be made one month before departure. Applications made by mail will take 2-3 weeks to process, unless subject to special processing. Applications made in person could be processed the same day, if not subject to special review. Some countries require at least 3 weeks to process. Click here to learn what you must submit to obtain your Canadian visa.

If you are mailing your application, you must use overnight mail and include a pre-paid return envelope with your application. Check the Canadian web site for hours of operation to present your application in person.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO CANADA FOR THE PURPOSE OF VISITING A U.S. CONSULATE TO OBTAIN A NEW (OR EXTENSION OF A) U.S. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA:

  • YOU WILL NEED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE.
    PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED AND CURRENT INFORMATION ON U.S. CONSULATES IN CANADA.
  • If you are a national from one of the following countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, Cuba, then you are not eligible to get a new visa in a contiguous territory. You should only apply for a new visa in your home country.
  • Note: H-1B Visa Holders re-entering the United States from either Canada or Mexico are allowed to enter the United States with an expired H-1B visa stamp provided that you are re-entering within a 30-day period and have a valid passport. Canada and Mexico, however, are the ONLY two contiguous territories that allow H-1B visa holders to re-enter  with expired H-1B visa stamps.